The Price School of Public Policy announced Thursday that it will partner with the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon near Alexandria, Va.

The Price School was selected for the partnership from dozens of university schools on the West Coast. The new relationship will provide Price students with research and programming opportunities, in addition to special access to library resources at both the university and Mount Vernon.

The library, which is currently under construction outside the estate, will officially open in September. The facility will house the original Washington papers and volumes and a research center in addition to hosting educational outreach and leadership training programs. The project was fully funded by private donations.

A donation from alumna Maribeth Borthwick and William Borthwick facilitated the creation of the partnership. Maribeth Borthwick is the vice regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, representing the state of California.

The first event resulting from the partnership will be the Borthwick Lecture Series on George Washington, an annual bicoastal lecture program featuring USC history professor Kevin Starr.

The Price School plans to expand the program to include research opportunities at Mount Vernon through additional funding in the future.